I'm still too shaken up by the outcome and the stress leaving my muscles, so I'll just say this:



Deutschmaschine
2 parts freezer-cold vodka
1 part Midori Liqueur
Fill with white cranberry juice to preserve the green tint of the Midori (we only had red on hand, too bad)

Cheers and thanks for the support! CCN winners, Beta-Bookers, the real fun begins for ALL of us!
This is when Z2H starts pimping our books in style! :D

*jazz hands*

- Christian

There's one thing I have to talk about here... and a question for you all after.

Is the name super-important to you? Ever since Deutschmaschine became a serious contender for CCN back in the days I've wondered... is the name a seller? Because there are a few reasons why it might not be:

1. It's not Englishe
2. It's German
3. It's difficult to pronounce properly to those who have no idea how German works
4. As Will pointed out before, it can be mispronounced as DoucheMachine, and as childish as that sounds, it really destroys all the weight it is meant to have :S

That part of the reason why I called my TV series Codename: Deutschmaschine. You throw an English word in there and suddenly it's clear: it's a call name, it's not her real name, there's a basis in English in that show, there ya go.

As a graduate of fashion I've been taught to be very open to criticism and to accept changes from other authorities. That's why I'm always very open-minded when it comes to film adaptations. Whoever works on that film wants to create more than a live-action copy; they usually want to create a self-sustaining work of cinematic action. I'm fine with that. You can't let a 500+ issue canonical comic book bible weight you down, and if you create a film especially for the fanboys and girls out there you'll never go anywhere.

Market appeal, folks. Gotta think about market appeal. Another thing fashion taught me... one I'm unfortunate about but hey... Sometimes you have to sell your soul to get a job. Ask Blake. ;)

So yeah. I'm cool with producers asking for changes meant to increase the market appeal. I'm just adamant about her origins. I want Deutschmaschine to NOT be an American. She needs to be an outsider for us to have a reason to explain what the heck's wrong with the world.

Like I said in my subject line... What's in a name?
(And that's considering I never even had English Literature classes in my first French College... there were too few students with advanced enough English, like me, to warrant creating the class. Poo :(  )


So now, my question to you... Seemingly simple question, but complicated, too:
What producer- or executive-imposed changes would you be willing to accept for your own little baby?

Off to brunch,

- C -

Yeah, I guess this thingie I had to provide you with got lost in the Intertubes or something, huh?

Well, here it is for you, the translation of that newspaper article Deutschmaschine, Comic Creation Nation, Zeros 2 Heroes Media and I were featured in:


"Christian Major in the running for the Harold Greenberg Fund

In order to support, encourage and promote upcoming comic creators and their creative chores, Telefilm Canada finances Canada: Comic Creation Nation, a programme piloted by Zeros 2 Heroes Media, a Vancouver company dedicated to democratize the process of launching new properties so that fresh and thrilling creations can go from the bottom of the ladder to the spotlight.

Comic book fans are directly involved in the selection process of the Canada: Comic Creation Nation winner: every week, they can vote for their favorite projects on the Internet at www.zeros2heroes.com. The comic creator whose project is selected gains the help of a full team to bring his work to life and be made available online, and in doing so, becoming a finalist for the 15 000$ grant offered by Astral Media's Harold Greenberg Fund.

With his Deutschmaschine, the story of a cyborg spy employed by a powerful corporation whose mission, seemingly ordinary, compromises planetary equilibrium, Montreal comic creator Christian Major has reached a new stage of Canada: Comic Creation Nation. Zeros 2 Heroes Chairman Paul Gertz has greatly appreciated this work whose action is reminiscent of James Bond films and aesthetics worthy of the futuristic thriller Minority Report. "Christian's talent and creativity shone brightly in his pitch and I have no doubt that the fans made a great decision to see Deutschmaschine go into production", has noted Mr. Gertz inviting fans to freely view this animated film at www.deutschmaschine.com.

Awarded with a college degree in Fine Arts, Christian Major had left behind comic books for years in favor of fashion designing. Eight years later, he has rediscovered his passion for the medium, just in time to enter this contest whose eight great finalists will be known next month."

(Obviously the reporter got a few things wrong... It's not an animation film, and there won't be 8 finalists... but hey, exposure is exposure!)

After much deliberation with myself, I decided to reveal my look at a potential movie trilogy for Deutschmaschine.

It's more bare-bones than what I like to do (some folks out there know how much I like to write) but I think it gives us a good focus of what every film is about and what the core of the script is about.

Some of you will recognize the first film as the setup for my first story arc/TV series, but the rest is adapted to create new bodies of work that are unrelated to previously released (tentative) material.
I aim to stay flexible and keep my options open; Edgar Lemaitre never struck me as a bad guy for the TV series, but here on film, it's just too good to pass up :)

Enjoy!

First Movie

Codename : Deutschmaschine

 

Synopsis

2140, Earth. The United Nations is dissolved, replaced by a council of economic superpowers. The United States are under martial law, its President in exile. Deutschmaschine is a secret cybernetic agent working for one of the most powerful corporations in the world. With information gleaned from the dealings of the United World Economic Council, she strikes at economic cartels, unlawful projects and corporate spies on behalf of her employer, Zahra Haarland.

 

A spymaster working for the President in exile, Connell, learns of the Toson Zaibatsu's influence in orchestrating the American Martial Law for economic purposes. Through a specific proxy (Wiretrip), he manipulates Deutschmaschine into handling the matter, unknowingly throwing her in the path of Colonel Mikael Winters, a military consultant for the Toson Zaibatsu, architect of the Martial Law, and one of Deutschmaschine's surviving creators.

 

Faced with the very real threat of being ousted as a cyber-soldier illegally working for the private sector, Deutschmaschine must find a way to uncover evidence of Mikael Winters' connection to the Toson Zaibatsu, and bring them to justice for willfully fomenting civil unrest.

 

Cast of characters

Deutschmaschine (Gabriele Weise), Zahra Haarland, Wiretrip (Miles Sexton), Lorie Heinen

Colonel Mikael Winters

Connell

Teresa Clarke

 

Second Movie

Deutschmaschine 2: The NanoTech Manifesto

 

Synopsis

After the events of the first film, Deutschmaschine and Lorie Heinen pinned down in the United States amongst Wiretrip's group. As Teresa Clarke wages an ongoing battle with Zahra Haarland for control of Mik-Centennial, a new group emerges, executing acts of terrorism and threatening to reveal evidence of governments' and corporations' cyber-exploitation of the public.

 

The revelation of the NanoTech Manifesto sparks worldwide fear and exacerbates Zahra and Deutschmaschine's woes. As Deutschmaschine finds refuge with casino mogul and friend Edgar Lemaitre, she petitions his assistance in safeguarding hers and Mik-Centennial?s private servers against supporters of the NanoTech Manifesto, only to be betrayed by Lemaitre, one of the leaders of this terrorist group.

 

As Wiretrip is being held and has Lemaitre's scientists intent on using his person as a living hacking server and repository, Deutschmaschine must seek uncertain allies (Winters) to defeat Lemaitre's endeavor while securing undeniable evidence of Teresa Clarke's wrongdoing.

 

Cast of characters

Deutschmaschine (Gabriele Weise), Zahra Haarland, Wiretrip (Miles Sexton), Lorie Heinen

Connell, Karalee Haarland, Mail Veillans, Fogwatch, Invapor

Edgar Lemaitre

Teresa Clarke

Colonel Mikael Winters

Codename Copper

 

Third Movie

Deutschmaschine 3: Projekt Panzertraum

 

Synopsis

After a series of failed attempt to contact Zahra Haarland and obtain a means for their extraction from the war zone that is the US, the President in exile is found by a cadre of corporate-sponsored operatives, only to be later assassinated in captivity by a mysterious cybernetic agent.

 

Attempting against all hopes to find the assassin and to bring him to justice, Deutschmaschine begins a tireless search, unaware that the spymaster Connell, along with Wiretrip's renegade media group, are at work uncovering the sinister truth behind the assassin's - and Deutschmaschine's - creation: Germany's top-secret Projekt: Panzertraum, and its ties with the Haarland family patriarch, Nikolai.

 

Cast of characters

Deutschmaschine (Gabriele Weise), Zahra Haarland, Wiretrip (Miles Sexton), Lorie Heinen

Connell, Mail Veillans, Fogwatch, Invapor

Colonel Mikael Winters

Codename Copper

 

New Art!! Weeee!

You might already have seen our own Crackwalker's fan art for Deutschmaschine:

Quite the epic setting.

And from newcomer Sorchania:


Good stuff all around, and more work for me to return the favor :)
 
Enjoy!

Hey gang!

I'm terribly sorry I haven't been able to show you all this, but with the in extremis artwork jobs x3 I had to do over the last week-and-half it's been hectic a bit.

At least I'm (mostly) done now :)

I've finally finished and made public the Deutschmaschine Fantasy Cast gallery as well as The World of Deutschmaschine strip (not a strip per se, but an annotated strip of elements in Deutschmaschine's setting with hints of things to come) for your review, enjoyment and feedback.

I truly wanted to publish this earlier but, well... the modifications that the strip images required took me ages to finish. Glad I'm done now!

So go forth and mingle, and let's all have some fun while we're at it!
(goes back slaving on a Bristol board at the drawing table)

Cheers,

- me.

I realized I forgot to post this!!


Directly from the Toronto Fan Expo last August!

From left to right: Fetternity (Christian Major), WillGibson (William Gibson) and Ivy Crow (Maude Michaud)

It's like Will is swearing allegiance to the Galactic Overlord or something...

:D

Okay, while I recognize that this has to continue, I'm also allowed to have a single selfish moment out of twelve. :b

Wow, hectic days lately...

CCN Pinup #: Gabriele Weise from Christian Major's Deutschmaschine:

           

I don't come with an 'off' switch. I don't get a day off.
I don't mind all that much...
(click to embiggen image in new window)

That's actually the first pinup I did and it'sd been lying around, secretely, in my property's gallery. I didn't post it first because, hey, if I do my own property I might as well do all the CCN winners and share a bit of my talent with everyone :)

Comments and critics welcome.
Next pinup: I flipped a coin and got started on Hero High. I also decided to draw it using my more cartoony style, befitting the source material. Can't give you a deadline though... but I'll get it done eventually.

Artfully yours,


- Christian

Some time ago I promised I'd get myself some REAL equipment for my artwork.
And I just did.

#1: 24-inch LG Flatron monitor, full HD, 10 000:1 contrast ratio

This is made of awesomeness, considering I've never owned a widescreen OR flat panel OR HD monitor or TV before. It was sweet watching the premiere of Heroes on that baby...

Then, and most importantly...
#2: Canon Pixma Pro9000 8-cartridge oversized printer

This thing could swallow a small baby! That Black Cat print there is 11" by 17" for comparison. So I will no longer be a slave to my local printing place!!

I decided to give it a good test print-out... so I selected a hi-rez of page 20 of Deutschmaschine... Here's the result with my face full of awesomeness awe:

The flash makes it look paler than what it is, but believe me, it's gorgeous... I can only imagine printing this on glossy photo paper...

I'm not discussing how much this set me back. I'm only saying, as an investment, this will make my drawing and inking so, so much more enjoyable!

Cheers and productivity,

- Christian

Hey all,

So I figured I haven't touched this subject in a while, so for your enjoyment, my proposed story arcs and sub-plots for my second season of Deutschmaschine on the telly.
Enjoy!

Codename: Deutschmaschine
TV series
Season 2

Season 2 is the continuation of the plot established in the Season 1 episode "In Darkest Day". Zahra Haarland is blackmailed by NYC Centennial Executive Teresa Clarke. The Toson Zaibatsu is beating Mik-Centennial's influence in the World Economic Council; Colonel Winters is in hiding but remains a certified security operative of the United World Economic Council; and Deutschmaschine and friends remains on the run. Season 2 also deals more with the actual state of the world and the powers that be, as well as the succession of those.

From this moment forward, the planning of TV seasons will be broken down in story arcs ad subplots. A precise count would not be helpful.

Main premise #1

Deutschmaschine, Wiretrip and Lorie are on the run, trying to amass enough resources to track down and sever Winters' connection to the United World Economic Council. Connell assists them from far away through Wiretrip, but he also pursues his own agenda.

Main premise #2

Mik-Centennial is under siege. Zahra Haarland is cut off from her ace agent, Deutschmaschine, and must use all of her guile and business acumen to recruit new operatives and maneuver against enemies both external and internal.

Season Premiere: Vita
Two months after the events of Genesis 2.0, Deutschmaschine, Wiretrip and Lorie are still in hiding. Zahra has to contend with the influence of the Toson Zaibatsu in Mik-Centennial's areas of business, forcing Zahra to attempt contact with Deutschmaschine despite the risks involved. Teresa Clarke positions herself in new areas of business for her branch in return for her silence regarding Deutschmaschine's existence. Winters resurfaces amongst resourceful criminal elements.

Story Arc 1: The Hollow Man

Deutschmaschine is forced to seek old contact Edgar Lemaitre, an American casino mogul, for assistance. Wiretrip and Lorie begin a budding romance. With Lemaitre's aid, Wiretrip brings the party to hunt down an elite underground fighter group called Pillarlight. With their help, they are able at great sacrifice to escape the United States with Mik-Centennial's plane, which has been impounded. Connell is dispatched by the President of the United States to track down the remnants of the aborted German Projekt: Panzertraum; he discovers Zahra Haarland's involvement in the "liberation" of Deutschmaschine. Winters is back at Toson Zaibatsu Holdings in the US, managing the security crackdown on Mik-Centennial.

Sub-Plot: Weight of Truth
Connell manages to contact Wiretrip and passes on information regarding Zahra Haarland's involvement with Projekt: Panzertraum. Unwilling to jeopardize their current situation and reliance on Mik-Centennial, he decides to keep the secret. Tensions develop between Wiretrip, Lorie and Gabriele.

Sub-Plot: Joined at the Hip
Teresa Clarke siphons resources from several Mik-Centennial subsidiaries to cement her position as Executive of the NYC branch. Zahra secretly hires a new head of Internal Security at NYC Centennial: Mail Veillans, using a fake name. He is assigned to spy on Teresa Clarke and find a chink in her armor. Zahra maneuvers herself off the spotlight long enough to introduce a new character: Karalee Haarland, her estranged daughter, who will become interim manager of Mik-Centennial Holdings and run interference for Teresa Clarke.

Sub-Plot: Thicker than Water
Over the course of several episodes certain evidence pointing to the shady history of the Haarland family will be revealed. This will culminate with the revelation that Nikolai Haarland, Zahra's husband, was murdered 20 years ago under mysterious and unresolved circumstances. This discovery is made by Mail Veillans.

Sub-Plot: Face
Winters faces off against a new competitor, Alex Galliano, CEO of rival corporation Core Engineering Inc. Galliano, based in Washington, DC, blackmails Winters with information about the secret headquarters Deutschmaschine destroyed in the Season 1 finale, Genesis 2.0. A deal is struck: Winters must acquire Deutschmaschine and her allies and deliver them to Galliano, or else.

Story Arc 2: First Sparks

Our party moves to Switzerland hoping for sanctuary. Series of selected episodes concentrating on flashbacks. Detailed character histories include: Deutschmaschine's induction into Projekt: Panzertraum; Wiretrip's youth as a street punk named Miles Sexton; Lorie Heinen's privileged background in Switzerland; Karalee Haarland's relationship with her mother; and Connell's criminal background and rehabilitation.

Sub-Plot: Nano Vows
Connell, a thoroughly effective spymaster, is revealed to have a unique relationship with Wiretrip's mentor, Mail Veillans, and may have a greater stake in the balance that what viewers have previously thought.

Sub-Plot: cash.dot.war
A brief history of the American Martial Law, as told by Connell, Mail Veillans and Wiretrip to their respective audiences. Heavily implied that the government there failed to restrict corporations adequately.

Sub-Plot: The Deepest Cut
In an attempt to flush them out, Codename Copper, Winters' Chem OPS, tracks down and holds hostage Wiretrip's allies in the Pillarlight renegade group. When Wiretrip is unable to come to their help, Copper murders them in cold blood. Wiretrip swears vengeance.

Sub-Plot: Dissent
While in Switzerland, Wiretrip breaks and reveals his knowledge of Zahra's involvement in the acquisition of Deutschmaschine. The group is now torn: returning to Mik-Centennial Headquarters, or hunting down Winters and the remaining evidence of Projekt: Panzertraum.

Story Arc 3: Execution
Colonel Winters and Copper manage to track Deutschmaschine's plane and move in for the kill, while Galliano has close surveillance on them. The final showdown of the season.

Sub-Plot: Oiled Gears
Connell and Deutschmaschine face off in an attempt to be the first to uncover evidence that Mikael Winters betrayed American secrets to the German military after the fall of the UN. Projekt: Panzertraum is revealed to have gone against the moratorium on weapons development and bio-ethics in creating Deutschmaschine and other Shadow OPS like herself.

Sub-Plot: Mole
Mail Veillans, with help from his renegade media group, begins leaking confidential information on NYC Centennial, alerting Zahra Haarland that something is wrong with her plan. Mail, however, has his own goal in mind, and cannot alert Teresa Clarke by revealing it to Zahra.

Sub-Plot: Thousand-Cut Death
Wiretrip and Lorie are left on the sidelines while Deutschmaschine hunts down the Panzertraum data repository when Codename Copper attacks them. He beats Wiretrip within an inch of his life before he is wounded by a reluctant Lorie and forced to flee.

Sub-Plot: Bubble
Karalee Haarland and her mother put their differences aside long enough to entrap Teresa Clarke with the help of forged documents planted expertly by Mail Veillans. A secret connection between Teresa Clarke and Alex Galliano is uncovered, as well as an elusive link to Nikolai Haarland's murder.

Resolution

Teresa Clarke is tried on accusations of cartel involvement. Colonel Winters goes into hiding once again when an international warrant is brought up against him thanks to evidence supplied by Alex Galliano. Wiretrip is in a coma after his encounter with Codename Copper, with Lorie by his side. Deutschmaschine, after learning the secret history of the Mik-Centennial Entertainment Group, is left to ponder whether to return to the fold or hand in her resignation. Zahra and Karalee are left wondering where the company stands. Mail Veillans vanishes without a trace after visiting Wiretrip one last time. Connell is last seen sitting in a reunion of the Board of Directors of the Toson Zaibatsu for reasons unknown.



Any suggestions as to what I should reveal next? :)

Cheers and slaving away for your pleasure,

- Christian